Boxing Superstar Shouts Out Lakers Hall of Famer As Personal Inspiration

A boxing superstar recently paid tribute to a Los Angeles Lakers legend that inspires him.

May 8, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers retired jereys of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33), Elgin Baylor (22), Kobe Bryant (8 and 24), Pau Gasol (16), Gail Goodrich (25), Magic Johnson (32), Shaquille O'Neal (34), jerry West (44), Jamaal Wilkes (52), James Worthy (42), George Mikan (99) and Chick Hearn during game four of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is still seen as a role model, particularly when it comes to being a "girl dad."

Most recently, Bryant was celebrated by professional boxer Caleb Plant. Boasting a 32-13 record, Plant recently celebrated being a father of girls by sharing an image of Kobe Bryant sneakers with "girl dad" embroidered on it.

Additionally, Plant shared a clip of Bryant talking about his mentality.

"Did I give everything I absolutely have to this game?" Bryant asked. "Yes I did. That is the most important thing. The rankings, all of that stuff is inconsequential. Rankings come and go. Opinions change. Doesn't matter."

"When you can look yourself in the mirror and say, 'Did I give everything I could? Did I do everything possible to try to get better?' If the answer is yes..." Bryant said before silently nodding.

"GIRL DAD," Plant wrote on Instagram. "For my babies, I was working hard to give y’all something better before either of you were even here and in honor someone who’s given me years worth of motivation. A man doesn’t do it for his 1st name he, does it for his last."

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A post shared by Caleb Plant (@calebplant)

Bryant came to the NBA out of high school in the 1996 NBA Draft after being selected 13th overall in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets. However, he would soon be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After taking a year to get used to the NBA, Bryant became an All-Star in his sophomore season, averaging 15.4 pints, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He also won the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner.

Bryant would go on to have one of the greatest careers in NBA history. He won five NBA Championships and was named NBA Finals MVP twice. He was also named NBA MVP in 2008 and was an 18-time NBA All-Star, a four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, and a two-time NBA scoring champion.

Bryant was additionally named to 15 All-NBA teams and 12 NBA All-Defensive teams. Both of his jersey numbers were retired by the Lakers and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant won Olympic gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

In his 20-season NBA career, Bryant recorded 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

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